The present invention relates to a sanitary napkin for personal feminine care, including the absorption of menstrual fluids or similar exudates.
Japanese Utility Model Application Disclosure Gazette (Kokai) No. Hei7-33314 discloses a sanitary napkin provided with wings or flaps, which comprises a napkin body and a pair of wings extending transversely outward from transversely opposite side edges of the napkin body, respectively. The napkin body and the wings are respectively formed on their back sides with adhesive fastening zones for an undergarment worn by a wearer of the sanitary napkin. To wear the sanitary napkin, the adhesive fastening zone formed on the napkin body is anchored on an inner surface of a crotch region of the undergarment and the wings are folded back and fixed to an outer surface of the undergarment.
The wings or flaps of the sanitary napkin are provided with reinforcing sheet strips extending longitudinally of the napkin. The reinforcing sheet strips facilitate the wings to be held and folded.
In the case of the sanitary napkin described in the above-mentioned Japanese Utility Model Application Disclosure Gazette (Kokai) No. Hei7-33314, respective inner side edges of the reinforcing sheet strips rectilinearly extend in parallel to transversely opposite side edges of a liquid-absorbent core of the sanitary napkin. Such arrangement or prior art may often create a feeling of discomfort because the inner side edges of the reinforcing sheet strips are locally pressed against the wearer""s legs.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a sanitary napkin that avoids the creation of a feeling of discomfort.
According to the present invention, there is provided an elongate sanitary napkin having a napkin body which comprises a liquid-pervious topsheet, a liquid-impervious backsheet and a liquid-absorbent core disposed between the topsheet and the backsheet and a pair of wings extending transversely outward from transversely opposite side edges of the napkin body, respectively, which the pair of wings are folded back and fixed to an outer side of a crotch region of an undergarment worn by a wearer of the sanitary napkin, wherein:
each of the wings comprises a portion of the backsheet extending transversely outward from a middle zone of a side edge of the napkin body and a reinforcing sheet strip bonded on an upper surface of the portion of the backsheet, the reinforcing sheet strip having inner and outer side edges both extending in a longitudinal direction of the napkin body wherein the inner side edge is spaced from the side edge of the napkin body and convexly curved toward the outer side edge; a pair of elastically stretchable and contractable cover sheets, each bonded to an upper surface of the napkin body in vicinity of each side edge thereof and extending transversely outward from a substantially full length of the side edge of the napkin body, are bonded to the par of wings, respectively; and the pair of wings are formed on lower surfaces thereof with adhesive fastening zones for the undergarment worn by the wearer of the napkin, respectively.
According to one embodiment of the present invention, each of the cover sheets includes a portion extending transversely inward from each side edge of the napkin body and overlying the topsheet, and the portion overlying the topsheet is bonded under tension in the longitudinal direction to an upper surface of the napkin body at longitudinally opposite ends of the napkin body.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, the cover sheet portion extending transversely outward from each side edge of the napkin body has a region further extending transversely outward beyond the wing and formed on a lower surface thereof with an adhesive fastening zone.
According to still another embodiment of the present invention, the reinforcing sheet strip has a rigidity higher than that of the backsheet as well as that of the cover sheet.